Raychell, You did a nice job identifying important information and questions for further research from the articles you have read. You may want to increase the pace with which you move through the articles. You should finish them up by Monday and begin to write the first draft your essay this upcoming week. Chuck
Primary-Source Documents:
Jan 14,1920:
I.R.T Real Estate Worth Millions To Be Sold Soon:
I.R.T meaning Interborough Rapid Transit
This company consists of buildings in the Grand Central Terminal zone to lots in the Bronx and valuable holdings in Long Island City
Locations of the I.R.T properties:
156-158 East Forty-Second street
a three-story fire proof store
office building with foundations for two additional stories
In Manhattan: 150 Lots
East side of Broadway between 218th street and Harlem ship canal, taking in three and one-half blocks of Broadway property.
In Bronx: most of the west side of Broadway from 238th to 242d streets = about 89 lots
In Manhattan: the square block bounded by 147th and 149th streets, Lenox Avenue and Exeter street.
Jackson Avenue
In Long Island City (Queens): Hunter's point section- This is the location of the first station in Queens on the Queens borough Subway and of a valuable Interborough holding now to be sold to the highest bidder subject to a station easement. The valuable parcei consists of a block front on the north side of Fourth Street, from Jackson to Vernon Avenue, and improved with apartment and store buildings.
Long Island City (Queens): The twelve and a half lots with old buildings at the northwest corner of Fourth Street and West Avenue, through Fifth Street... for the Queens borough Tunnel; also the valuable industrial water frontage on the south side of Eighth Street
Long Island City (Queens): 100 feet west of West Avenue and consisting of about sixteen upland lots, all the remainder being composed of land under water. This property was purchased in 1901.
tract of 7.8 acres
approximately 800 feet frontage in Bay Chester Avenue at and near White Plains Road and additional frontage in additional frontage in additional streets and avenues also four lots in City Island.
The Auction will be held in the early Spring, over a period of two or three days.
"The upper Broadway, 218th Street, and Ship Canal lots, together with the Lenox Avenue and exterior Street block, grouped together nicely for one large Manhattan and Bronx sale, to which, however, I may decide to add the valuable Forty- second Street (Manhattan and Long Island City) parcel. In that event there will remain to be sold tract of lots located at White Plains Road the Baychester Avenue" - Joseph P. Day
"All of the properties to be sold, with the exception of the investment parcels, are of a character that will appeal strongly to lot buyers, builders of walk-up apartment houses, manufactures, blocks, just north of 218th Street, comprise some of the last remaining lots on Manhattan Island that are to be had at prices sufficiently low to warrant the immediate construction of five and six story walk-up flats, and any number of which, I believe, could be erected in this location and resold before their completion on the present rental basis." - Joseph P. Day Good job identifying important quotations from the article. You will want to include them in your essay to support your thesis. Begin to look for common themes/topics as you work through the remaining articles.
Valuable Broadway Frontage;
" A little further north, from 238th and 242th Streets, are four Broadway blocks to be sold. with a subway station at either end, Van Cortlandt Park and the Dela-field estate residential colony lying just beyond. The sale pf this valuable Broadway frontage should prove to be an advantage of being directly on the subway." " The White Plains Road and Baychester Avenue lots have t he same character of subway and station advantages, while the Long Island City properties to be sold are located directly at, or adjacent to the first station outside of Manhattan (Jackson Avenue), in the Borough of Queens, in a station that is actually the heart and centre of the established Hunters Point district or Long Island City." - Joseph P. Day
Questions:
Why did the I.R.T Real Estate sell all of the properties they owned, if they needed to go through with enough money to stay?
Why is the headlines of the news article "I.R.T. Real Estate Worth Millions to be Sold Soon", of only the only thing being sold in this news article is the properties owned by the I.R.T. Real Estate, not the actual Real Estate?
Who were the ones who bought the properties that was once owned by the I.R.T Real Estate?
Why did the Action start in the Early Spring, fro only 3 days, if the I.R.T Real Estate needed the money by the deadline of January 1st?
What happened to those who worked in the actual I.R.T. Real Estate?
The population of the Bronx increased rapidly in the year of 1874, when the territory west of the Bronx River "the north side" was added to New York County and thus became part of the city.
The area of where the cause of the Bronx population increased was about 12,300 acres and inside these acres there were about 50 villages, with about 33,000 people as the population, in all the 50 villages, some of them had more than only 33,000.
In the 1890, the improvement of all the transportation, made the population increased completely, from 33,000 to 88,000.
The "Huckleberry Road," horse cars was replaced with the first trolley line of the Union Railway Company in 1892.
In 1895, additional land was acquired from Westchester County and added to the city, comprising a little more than 14,500 acres east of the Bronx River,known as "The Annexed District," giving a total areas to the Bronx of about 26,800 acres, or approximately 42 miles, with a population of 100,000.
In 5 years, which was 1895 to 1900 the population reached about 6 times more than the original population, from 33,000 to 201,000 in population. In a 10 year period the population increased into more the double, from 201,000 to 431,000.
The cause of the growth in the population from the time period of 1895 to 1910, was determined from the extension of the Third Avenue, "L" Tremont, and then to Fordham , the operation of the Lenox Avenue subway to West Farms, and the operation of the New York , Westchester & Boston Railway, which transit arteries opened up large sections to more extensive settlement.
In 1915, the Bronx population reached 631,000. In the past year the population reached 850,000, and by the of year 1920, the population reached 900,000.
The opening of the Jerome Avenue extension of the Lexington Avenue subway of the White Plains Avenue extension of the old subway, and of the Hunt's Point Branch of the Lexington Avenue subway, which was the cause of the high rising population.
The Webster Avenue extension to 214th Street and the Pelham Bay Park extension via Westchester Avenue the Westchester, Throgs Neck and Unionport sections will be within 40 minutes of City Hall.
Questions:
Why were all the extensions made?
Were the extensions asked for from the people living in that part of the Bronx?
When determined, they said by the end of 1920 the population would increase to 900,000 people, was that the case at the end of 1920, with all the new extensions?
Where was all this money coming from?
Were the extensions all over the Bronx?
Was the population being counted from one place in the Bronx?
April 11, 1920:
Boom Predicted For East Bronx Section:
"Old Residential Sections Will Be Greately Benefited by New Transit Facilities"
There was a section of New York that was one of the most promising area, which was a part of the Bronx, the area was a mile square and which is bounded on the north, east and west by Yonkers and Mt. Vernon and on the south by the City of New York.
This section consists of a number of old residential settlements, and majority of which were progressive home-building colonies , several generations before the White Plains Road subway, the elevated lines or the electric surface car lines were introduced into these parts.
Each year a certain percentage of new populations filtered in from one of the three sources of supply.
The old Jacksonville, Washingtonville, and Edenwald sections became populated with a substantial class of citizens who built their homes there and then waited for the advent of improved transit facilities.
With the operation of the White Plains Road subway to the East 241st Street or Baychester Avenue, terminal station, to within a few blocks of the New York and Mt. Vernon city line, the strategies advantage of this section of the Bronx have come to be recognized.
New population has been attracted to the section from lower New York, from Yonkers, from Mt. Vernon and New Rochelle, it took place in order by how the population rise, from the new transit with a fare of only 5cents.
The most important thoroughfares of this section are White Plains Road, Baychester Avenue, or East 241st Street, and Nereld Avenue, or East 238th Street. Stations on the White Plains Road subway are located at Baychester and Nereld Avenues.
With all the new extensions with the stations and lines from New York City and out, this new strength will help with bringing in money into the city and new transit = big increase in population.
"This outlook is strengthened by the fact of Nereld Avenue being the direct easterly extension of McLean Avenue, which runs just north of the New York City line, through the southerly section of Yonkers, and connects directly with South Broadway and the electric surface car line which operates to the 242d Street, or terminal station on the Broadway subway"
The value of property in the 238th and 241st Street station should be greatly augmented upon the operation of Webster Avenue extension of the Third Avenue elevated railroad.
BY means of this additional service all that section of the Bronx east of Webster Avenue will have the facilities of two directly connecting subways and elevated lines.
Questions:
Why were the extensions so long if there were so many lines running?
If the extensions ran out of New York, where did it lead you?
How much more did the population increased, if it did?
Why was the operation of Webster Avenue extension of the Third Avenue elevated railroad greatly augmented?
Why did there have to be two operations for each of the lines, connecting subways and elevated lines?
April 25, 1920:
More Cars for Third Avenue Elevated:
Starting April 26, 1920, morning service on the Third Avenue Elevated will be increased by the addition of two cars to each train between 9:30 and 10:00 A.M.
The cause of adding the two cars in the time period of 9:30 and 10:00 A.M. was because that was rush hour, and it was impossible to get into the train at that time.
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company told Public Service Commissioner Lewis Nixon that the northbound service between 5 and 6:30 P.M., so that was to be improved as well.
Questions:
Why did the Interborough Rapid Transit Company have to tell the Public Service Commissioner Lewis Nixon about the service in northbound, why couldn't he find out himself? Was he really involved about the safety?
Why didn't they add the cars in the beginning of the making of trains?
Why didn't they add the cars on for longer?
May 30, 1920:
New Transit Line Opened:
Extensions from Hunt's Point to 177th Street into Operation.
An additional section of the east side rapid transit system, extending two and a quarter miles from Hunt's Point Avenue to 177th Street, was put into operation one minute after midnight on May 30th, year 1920.
It is excepted the remaining section, from 177th Street to Pelham Bay Park, will be completed, that fall. The cost of everything was $5,287,000.
Questions:
Why was the operation being put in a minute after midnight that night, of May 30, 1920?
Where was all the money coming from?
Who was in charge of all of these operations?
Why didn't they start putting the extensions in the early months of the year 1920?
Secondary-Source Documents:
New Subways From The Northern Borough:
The article was talking about the extensions that were built in and the causes of the major changes:
The major cause of change in the Bronx at the time was because of World War 1.
The first was in Manhattan's Lexington Avenue and crossed beneath the Harlem River into the Bronx in a tunnel under Mott Avenue (now the Grand Concourse)
At 149th Street, some trains
connected with the original Bronx subway line, but others swung over onto a new line to River Avenue where they come from out the ground into the elevated structure.
They proceeded north along River Avenue, then along Jerome Avenue, moving to Woodlawn Road (which is now known as Bainbridge Avenue) at the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery.
North of 162nd Street, the Sixth and Ninth Avenue line on the ground, was combined with the new tracks.
This new Woodlawn-Jerome line of the Lexington Avenue subway opened on July 17, 1918
The new Bronx subway lines were extended north.
Elevated subway structure, are known what we see in everyday normal life in the Bronx, like when you are going to the Yankee stadium and when you see the train pass by ion top of you, that's what is called elevated structures.
Many elevated subway lines were built north of West Farm Square station, then they combined and made it move east so that people can transfer with 180th Street station of the New York, Westchester, And Boston Railway.
The Third Avenue Elevated was extended north above Webster Avenue from the Botanical Garden to Gun Hill Road, and turned east, when after cross the Bronx River to White Plains Road so that it connect with the elevated extension of the original subway line.
The subway line opened as the White Plains Road line on December 13, 1920.
8 day later, the first subway line to serve the most east part of the Bronx, which was the Pelham Bay line, opened. YAY!
The whole purpose of all these new lines was to help and provide people the necessity to move into more places in the Bronx, so that everyone would not be so crowded in Manhattan and to help commute to their jobs easily.
"
The plan succeeded admirably. In the process, just as with the New York and Harlem River Railroad, the Third Avenue Elevated, and the original subway line, it served as a catalyst for the rapid development in the areas of The Bronx they served."
From: Lloyd Ultan
The Northern Borough: A History of the Bronx
Bronx, NY: The Bronx County Historical Society 2009
The Third Avenue Elevated:
The Third Avenue Elevated was made in 1879
In 1904, when the subway was constructed, that is when they started to use electricity to power the train.
People back then were more trusted, they would put money in a box when you took a paper, this was honor system, something that people now a days lack.
5 cent fare began October 1, year of 1886, then not increased until 1948, which went up 10 cents more.
Tokens were made the size of a dime now, starting in 1953, which cost 15 cents.
Now these tokens are used in jewelry, to remember the gentler era.
In 1886 the Third Avenue Elevated was extended into the Bronx, which gave many opportunities to people, then right after the population soon exploded.
From: The Bronx in Bits and Pieces
Bill Twomey
Bloomington: Rooftop Publishing, Inc. 2007
T.Q.R. Statement:
I am studying the Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions that took place all through the 1920's, because I want to prove how the Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions help and improved the life of people in the Bronx.
Thesis Statement:
The Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions took place throughout the 1920's, which was made to improve housing, transportation, and find jobs for the people living in the Bronx.
Introduction:
http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/theymovedthemillions2.html Where did the idea of elevated train extensions come from? The start to a new beginning for the Bronx started off with train lines that we use and see on a daily bases. The extensions of the New York City subway lines into the Bronx in 1920, improved the quality of life of the residents of the Bronx. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company owned many properties, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (I.R.T) had a Real Estate which was where the properties being owned by the company were being run, and the I.R.T. was in deep money issue. The only way to get out of the issues was by selling all their properties, but it was very argumentative. When the spring came, the auction was all properties like Jackson Avenue, 156-158 East Forty-Second Street, and l150 lot in Manhattan, there were many more and most were very valuable. Only people with big money, was allowed to auction. The auction was very successful, but when the people who bought the properties weren’t staying by their word and maintaining the properties, the I.R.T had to explain to the new owners what had to be done. The new person who was running the northbound, which was Public Service Commissioner Lewis Nixon wasn't improving anything, the I.R.T had to tell him that at certain times the trains would get full, thus must adding extra train cars. When rush hour hits, the trains get really crowded, which was a main reason why the elevated lines and extensions were necessary, which resulted in the improved housing. Population started to increased rapidly, from the year of 1874 to 1920, which was when the west territory of the Bronx River "the north side" was added to New York County, which became part of the city. The location of where the cause of the Bronx population increased was about 12,300 acres, and inside these acres there were about 50 villages, with about 33,000 people as the population, in all the 50 villages, some of them had more than only 33,000. This is where the idea of elevated extension lines were reasoned upon, which gave people the ability to spread out all over New York, because the Bronx and Manhattan, mostly Manhattan, were crowded, plus commuting, transportation and housing was such a difficult task to accomplish with the population so big and the land so scares. By the year 1920 came along, the population in the borough increased to 900,000. When the extensions were finished, there were more outcomes than excepted. Some of the outcomes helped the people living in the Bronx, but those same people had to pay the price. When the first subway line was constructed in 1874, there weren’t any fares needed to be pay until October 1, year of 1886, which did not increase until 1948, which went up 10 cents more. With the extensions made, working in Manhattan and living in the Bronx was easy. The elevated extension lines, gave opportunities to the people of the Bronx, the people can support them and their family by working in Manhattan and can live in clear opened spaces, of the Bronx. The extensions moved north and east of the Bronx, and the Pelham Bay extensions lead from Manhattan all the way down to Pelham Bay where there were not many buildings, only houses and camp sites. When the extensions were completed, it suited the needs of everyone. From the author of The Northern Borough: A History of the Bronx, Lloyd Ultan said “The purpose of these new lines was to provide access for the people huddled in crowded Manhattan tenements districts to the more open and healthier spaces of The Bronx and the other boroughs to ease congestion on the island and to give them the ability to commute to their jobs”, which is the perfect explanation to the results that happened right after the extensions were built. The extensions was used for many purposes, commuting became easier, living in one borough and working in another didn’t affect people as much as it did before. Population increased, which help bring in money into the boroughs. The idea and purpose that the extensions were built on were successfully reached. The extensions of the New York City subway lines into the Bronx in 1920, improved the quality of life of the residents of the Bronx.
Primary-Source Documents:
Jan 14,1920:
I.R.T Real Estate Worth Millions To Be Sold Soon:
Valuable Broadway Frontage;
Questions:
Link: IRTRealEstateWorthMillionsToBeSoldSoon14Jan1920.pdf
Feb 8, 1920:
The Growth Of The Bronx:
The area of where the cause of the Bronx population increased was about 12,300 acres and inside these acres there were about 50 villages, with about 33,000 people as the population, in all the 50 villages, some of them had more than only 33,000.
Questions:
April 11, 1920:
Boom Predicted For East Bronx Section:
Questions:
April 25, 1920:
More Cars for Third Avenue Elevated:
Questions:
May 30, 1920:
New Transit Line Opened:
Questions:
Secondary-Source Documents:
New Subways From The Northern Borough:
- The article was talking about the extensions that were built in and the causes of the major changes:
- The major cause of change in the Bronx at the time was because of World War 1.
- The first was in Manhattan's Lexington Avenue and crossed beneath the Harlem River into the Bronx in a tunnel under Mott Avenue (now the Grand Concourse)
- At 149th Street, some trains
connected with the original Bronx subway line, but others swung over onto a new line to River Avenue where they come from out the ground into the elevated structure.- They proceeded north along River Avenue, then along Jerome Avenue, moving to Woodlawn Road (which is now known as Bainbridge Avenue) at the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery.
- North of 162nd Street, the Sixth and Ninth Avenue line on the ground, was combined with the new tracks.
- This new Woodlawn-Jerome line of the Lexington Avenue subway opened on July 17, 1918
- The new Bronx subway lines were extended north.
- Elevated subway structure, are known what we see in everyday normal life in the Bronx, like when you are going to the Yankee stadium and when you see the train pass by ion top of you, that's what is called elevated structures.
- Many elevated subway lines were built north of West Farm Square station, then they combined and made it move east so that people can transfer with 180th Street station of the New York, Westchester, And Boston Railway.
- The Third Avenue Elevated was extended north above Webster Avenue from the Botanical Garden to Gun Hill Road, and turned east, when after cross the Bronx River to White Plains Road so that it connect with the elevated extension of the original subway line.
- The subway line opened as the White Plains Road line on December 13, 1920.
- 8 day later, the first subway line to serve the most east part of the Bronx, which was the Pelham Bay line, opened. YAY!
- The whole purpose of all these new lines was to help and provide people the necessity to move into more places in the Bronx, so that everyone would not be so crowded in Manhattan and to help commute to their jobs easily.
- "
The plan succeeded admirably. In the process, just as with the New York and Harlem River Railroad, the Third Avenue Elevated, and the original subway line, it served as a catalyst for the rapid development in the areas of The Bronx they served."From: Lloyd Ultan
The Northern Borough: A History of the Bronx
Bronx, NY: The Bronx County Historical Society 2009
The Third Avenue Elevated:
From: The Bronx in Bits and Pieces
Bill TwomeyBloomington: Rooftop Publishing, Inc. 2007
T.Q.R. Statement:
I am studying the Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions that took place all through the 1920's, because I want to prove how the Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions help and improved the life of people in the Bronx.Thesis Statement:
The Pelham Bay and Third Avenue Elevated Extensions took place throughout the 1920's, which was made to improve housing, transportation, and find jobs for the people living in the Bronx.Introduction:
http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/theymovedthemillions2.html
Where did the idea of elevated train extensions come from? The start to a new beginning for the Bronx started off with train lines that we use and see on a daily bases. The extensions of the New York City subway lines into the Bronx in 1920, improved the quality of life of the residents of the Bronx.
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company owned many properties, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (I.R.T) had a Real Estate which was where the properties being owned by the company were being run, and the I.R.T. was in deep money issue. The only way to get out of the issues was by selling all their properties, but it was very argumentative. When the spring came, the auction was all properties like Jackson Avenue, 156-158 East Forty-Second Street, and l150 lot in Manhattan, there were many more and most were very valuable. Only people with big money, was allowed to auction. The auction was very successful, but when the people who bought the properties weren’t staying by their word and maintaining the properties, the I.R.T had to explain to the new owners what had to be done. The new person who was running the northbound, which was Public Service Commissioner Lewis Nixon wasn't improving anything, the I.R.T had to tell him that at certain times the trains would get full, thus must adding extra train cars. When rush hour hits, the trains get really crowded, which was a main reason why the elevated lines and extensions were necessary, which resulted in the improved housing.
Population started to increased rapidly, from the year of 1874 to 1920, which was when the west territory of the Bronx River "the north side" was added to New York County, which became part of the city. The location of where the cause of the Bronx population increased was about 12,300 acres, and inside these acres there were about 50 villages, with about 33,000 people as the population, in all the 50 villages, some of them had more than only 33,000. This is where the idea of elevated extension lines were reasoned upon, which gave people the ability to spread out all over New York, because the Bronx and Manhattan, mostly Manhattan, were crowded, plus commuting, transportation and housing was such a difficult task to accomplish with the population so big and the land so scares. By the year 1920 came along, the population in the borough increased to 900,000.
When the extensions were finished, there were more outcomes than excepted. Some of the outcomes helped the people living in the Bronx, but those same people had to pay the price. When the first subway line was constructed in 1874, there weren’t any fares needed to be pay until October 1, year of 1886, which did not increase until 1948, which went up 10 cents more. With the extensions made, working in Manhattan and living in the Bronx was easy. The elevated extension lines, gave opportunities to the people of the Bronx, the people can support them and their family by working in Manhattan and can live in clear opened spaces, of the Bronx. The extensions moved north and east of the Bronx, and the Pelham Bay extensions lead from Manhattan all the way down to Pelham Bay where there were not many buildings, only houses and camp sites.
When the extensions were completed, it suited the needs of everyone. From the author of The Northern Borough: A History of the Bronx, Lloyd Ultan said “The purpose of these new lines was to provide access for the people huddled in crowded Manhattan tenements districts to the more open and healthier spaces of The Bronx and the other boroughs to ease congestion on the island and to give them the ability to commute to their jobs”, which is the perfect explanation to the results that happened right after the extensions were built. The extensions was used for many purposes, commuting became easier, living in one borough and working in another didn’t affect people as much as it did before. Population increased, which help bring in money into the boroughs. The idea and purpose that the extensions were built on were successfully reached.
The extensions of the New York City subway lines into the Bronx in 1920, improved the quality of life of the residents of the Bronx.